Often I am asked by new families for my thoughts, advice or words of wisdom, as their child begins their journey at Trinity College School. I usually begin by pausing to offer congratulations to the student, and his or her family, for I know what they will soon come to know, which is that they are entering a wonderful and warm learning community here at TCS. 

I then often applaud the student for having the courage to attend a new school. We recognize that many have travelled great distances, taken long flights or bus rides, left behind many friends and family and the comforts of home to be here. I then note that they are all now part of a very active, engaging and challenging school community. I bring attention to the reality that their time at TCS likely won't always be easy or fun, but note that this is precisely the point. To the student I say, "you have elected to take a risk, accept a challenge, with the goal of designing a new and better you."

When I first started to write my weekly blog in 2009, I was unsure who would read it. At first, I thought my audience would be students. I believed that the blog would provide an opportunity for me to appear in social media, connecting with kids on their preferred forum, and it would offer me another vehicle to impart more information and further celebrate their successes.

A quick question to the entire student body, in chapel, about six months after I started the blog, revealed an interesting fact. Of approximately 580 students, less than 10 kids had read one of my blogs; and many had only read it because their parents had told them to! Conversely, at Parent-Teacher Meetings, sporting events and arts evenings, several parents approached me to say that they read my blog regularly. At alumni events, many former parents and alumni of the School also told me that they had read at least a couple of my blog posts. And so, my actual audience revealed itself!

Part 2 of a 3-part series on insights from our graduating class

Last week, I shared a host of very positive comments that the members of our Graduating Class of 2018 shared during my annual end-of-year house meetings, a.k.a. Chew and Chats with the Headmaster. This week, I share with you some of the comments they made in response to my question as to how would they improve our school. Next week, I will explain what we will do with their valuable feedback, on a go-forward basis.

One of the more gratifying aspects of the Chew and Chat exercise with all 10 houses each year, is how many more positive remarks are made about the School, as opposed to suggestions to improve the School. Truly, for every one suggestion aimed at improving TCS, there are (depending upon the house!), three to four times more positive comments.

On June 15, 2018, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the leaving class at Trinity College School – the Class of 2018 – will have just taken their graduation photograph, thrown their blazers into the air in celebration, and will have officially launched into the next chapter of their lives. The following night, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, families will gather to celebrate their children in what is likely the biggest milestone of their young lives. How exciting! How exhilarating! How potentially terrifying, too!

In many ways, the start of post-secondary education will be like living a new life. Most kids will leave home, leave town, meet a new group of people, enrol in courses new to them. Seemingly, everything changes: food, bed, clothes, routine, sports, friends. Different people will influence, lead, help and support. There will likely be a lot more alone time; and also time connecting with different people, at different times, and in different places.